


An Unlikely Matchmaker

by FallenCiatokins



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Getting over unrequited love, Hubert Week 2020, Hubert the Matchmaker, Minor Ferdinand von Aegir/Hubert von Vestra, POV Hubert von Vestra, Wedding Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-08
Updated: 2020-10-08
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:27:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26889601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FallenCiatokins/pseuds/FallenCiatokins
Summary: This is for Hubert Week 2020, Day 5: Devotion.Hubert began making a list of things to procure. If Byleth did not know what Edelgard liked best, then perhaps he could be of assistance. He began writing a list of all of the things he knew Edelgard would like that he could find at the local market.Hubert decides that it is his duty, as the advisor and friend of Lady Edelgard, to hook her up with Byleth. And in the process, he deals with his own feelings toward Edelgard.
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth, Ferdinand von Aegir & Hubert von Vestra
Comments: 6
Kudos: 64
Collections: Hubert Week 2020





	An Unlikely Matchmaker

**Author's Note:**

> The idea for this silly fluff was from Phoebe, after we realized that he gives you two of Edelgard's favorite things in the Floral Tribute sidequest. :) Just some silly fluff~

At first, Hubert von Vestra had feared his professor, the woman who had been appointed their teacher without any hint of teaching experience. Two things had eaten at his thoughts as he watched Edelgard become closer to, and at times even dependent upon, the professor. First, he worried that Byleth might be one of  _ those _ people, the menaces who slithered in the dark. Beneath her cold and emotionless exterior, he sensed a foreign presence. He had learned to spot their kind, and the feeling she gave off was similar to that of the most dangerous of their number, the body swappers. His second fear was that she was a spy for Rhea, sent solely to ensure that the good little children at Garreg Mach were not causing too much mischief for the tyrants who ruled over Fodlan.

The day that the professor had emerged from Solon’s trap unscathed, she had returned looking like one of their other enemies. The children of the goddess. Hubert knew at that moment that they would not be able to rely on the woman’s help to enact their plans of reshaping Fodlan.

But, he had been wrong.

When Rhea, the inhuman ruler of mankind, had asked for Edelgard’s head, Hubert had been ready with the Warp Stone to whisk Edelgard away. But instead, the professor had sided with them. It was not the outcome either he or Lady Edelgard had expected. The professor had taken their side, and the beast known as the Immaculate One had raged in terrifying fashion, screaming about giving back ‘her mother’. He could only speculate what that meant.

After their invasion of Garreg Mach, the professor had vanished. Had the Immaculate One killed her? Edelgard had taken Byleth’s disappearance hard; he had heard her crying in her room for many nights after her teacher’s disappearance. At times, he had felt utterly unable to help Edelgard, but over time, he had learned to be soft toward her, with the help of the other members of the Black Eagle Strike Force. Soft was not really his area of expertise; he preferred cold logic, but cold logic led to the conclusion that Edelgard’s beloved teacher was dead. So he had kept silent on that front.

The day that the former professor had returned, he saw a light in Lady Edelgard’s eyes that he had thought would be gone forever. The day that the green-haired woman returned, Edelgard seemed different. She was almost giddy with happiness, and her eyes glowed with admiration and love for her. There was no denying it. She was in love.

As he sat at his desk, drinking coffee, thinking about Edelgard’s love for Byleth, Hubert felt a twinge of jealousy. Had he not spent his life serving Lady Edelgard, supporting her regardless of the circumstances? Had his service not pleased her? Immediately, a surge of guilt entered him, stronger than the foolish emotion of jealousy it replaced. He had not served her because he wanted her to love him; he had served her to help her fulfill her dreams. And that was enough for him.

And if her dream was to date the Professor, then what was her most humble advisor’s role, if not to guide the at-times absentminded Professor along the correct path?

Hubert began making a list of things to procure. If Byleth did not know what Edelgard liked best, then perhaps he could be of assistance. He began writing a list of all of the things he knew Edelgard would like that he could find at the local market.

_ Things that Lady Edelgard likes: _

_ Bergamot tea _

_ Monarch studies book _

_ Armored bear stuffy _

_ Various sweet things  _

He would just settle for the tea and the book for now; buying a stuffed animal was a bit embarrassing, especially if he wanted to keep his image as an intimidating figure. He would send one of his aides to perform the task and continue with his own work.

\--

“If it is not too much trouble, please find the most beautiful flowers you can. We require a large number of them, so do not be too selective about their size.”

He decided to ask for the former professor’s help with this particular task because she seemed quite interested in her greenhouse duties. It seemed absurd to him that the leading general of the military was doing such menial tasks, but she seemed to be possessed of a boundless energy which she used to make sure that everyone else was happy. It was… admirable, to say the least, even though he did not truly comprehend such a point of view. Maybe that was why Edelgard had taken to her so much.

The aide had brought him the things he requested, at great cost. Lady Edelgard’s taste in tea, in particular, was quite expensive indeed. He sighed. It was all part and parcel of her aristocratic upbringing; he, too, had expensive taste in drinks, importing his coffee from Dagda, so he supposed he could not judge her. Hopefully the trouble was worth it.

When Byleth returned with the beautiful bouquet of colourful flowers, he was quite impressed. She had truly wanted to please him with her flower-arranging skills. He bowed to the former professor and said, “Lady Edelgard adorns the graves of the fallen with flowers after each and every battle. Thank you for ensuring that she does not have to do so alone.” He handed her the items that he had procured and smiled.

Byleth smiled back at him, her large eyes and earnest smile making her seem so genuine. She used to be very emotionless, seeming almost dead inside, but since her return, she had seemed much more life-like and emotive than before. Maybe Rhea had controlled her more than he had ever known. And yet… if that were the case, why had she not betrayed them?

It was quite the conundrum. He didn’t fully comprehend her nature, but he supposed it did not matter anymore. She was here, she was their ally, and Edelgard loved her. She spoke softly. “Hm, this is an interesting assortment of items, Hubert. These things don’t seem very useful for battle. What is your aim, then?”

“I am not sure if you have noticed, but Lady Edelgard has taken quite a shine to you, Professor. I was thinking that, if you utilized these items, perhaps you could make Lady Edelgard happy.” He wasn’t sure exactly how to phrase it, but he thought that Byleth would get his message.

“Hubert, if there is one thing I can count on, it is that you have Lady Edelgard’s best interests at heart. Thank you. Do you think it is appropriate for me to give her gifts, though? I was once her professor.”

“We are all adults and we are at war. I do not believe anyone will fault you for your affections.” She nodded at him.

“Hm, I will take your word for it. I do not wish to overstep my boundaries.” And with that, she strode away. As he watched her walking away, he knew that he had done the right thing. He was no matchmaker, but he wanted to do something that would please Lady Edelgard. And maybe his small contribution would make her happy.

The next part of his plan was to send Byleth an anonymous note, talking about the armored bear stuffy that he knew Edelgard would love. It was brown and it had a charming expression that he imagined Edelgard would find quite... cute. So when he went back to his office to finish up his paperwork for the day, he wrote her the note and stuck it under the door to her room. Edelgard’s birthday was not for another few months, but perhaps she could receive it as some other sort of gift.

It was not his job to decide how to handle that, so he would not concern himself with it.

\--

It had been four months since Hubert had put his plan in motion.

“Quite a beautiful day in the rose garden, isn’t it, Hubert?” Ferdinand von Aegir sat across from him, sipping tea from his teacup. Hubert himself had a fresh cup of coffee at the ready, which Ferdinand had prepared for him. Despite his initial feelings about Ferdinand – that he was a buffoon – he had really started to get along well with the orange-haired man.

“Indeed. Hopefully once the war ends, we can enjoy these excursions in Enbarr rather than at the monastery. After all, it is easier to get both imported tea and imported coffee in the capital.” He took a whiff of the aroma of coffee from his cup. It smelled bitter and strong, just the way he liked it. Ferdinand had gotten better at brewing it.

“Yes. We only need to take the capital of the Kingdom now, and then the war will finally end…” Ferdinand sounded wistful. “And finally, the world will be at peace.”

And then, the two men glanced over to the other part of the garden, and there they were. Lady Edelgard and Byleth were holding hands in the garden, shyly smiling at each other. Hubert saw a look of pure happiness in Edelgard’s eyes, and he felt a surge of joy. After all his work playing (poor) matchmaker, it seemed that his efforts had finally borne fruit. Ferdinand spoke softly, almost a whisper. “Hubert. Not to be too blunt, but I was curious. Are you sad that she chose Byleth instead of you?”

“No. My wish is for Lady Edelgard to be happy, regardless of what brings about that outcome. I admire her, yes. I love her, of course. My devotion to her is unwavering. But if she is satisfied, that is the most important thing to me.” Hubert spoke the words 95% honestly, and buried that 5% as deep as he could push it.

“I just... I know she means the world to you.”

“Yes, of course. But my devotion to her includes allowing her to make her own decisions about what she wants to do with her life.”

“I feel as if you are avoiding giving me a straight answer, Hubert. But no matter. I am glad that you have made peace with it, regardless.” Ferdinand gave him a wide, genuine smile. The man was so endearing, Hubert thought. He admired the younger man’s relentless enthusiasm.

It was something he might just want a little more of in his own life.

\--

One year after the end of the war, the two women had their wedding in the small garden in Enbarr Palace. Neither of them had really wanted to have a big ceremony, so they instead just invited a few people. Hubert was dressed in a black suit, standing next to Edelgard as her best man; on the other side was Manuela, as Byleth’s maid of honor. It was a silly tradition, outdated and unreasonable, but he was still honoured that Edelgard had offered him this chance. He felt around in his pocket for the knives he kept, just in case someone decided to interfere with Edelgard’s most treasured day.

Both women were dressed in long, flowing white dresses; Edelgard’s was longer and more flowery whereas Byleth’s was simpler and unadorned. Edelgard’s hair was done up in an elaborate hairstyle, whereas Byleth’s blue hair was long and flowing freely, nothing too fancy at all. They both looked lovely, Hubert supposed, but it all seemed quite over the top. But he supposed it didn’t matter, as long as they were enjoying the day.   


Hanneman von Essar, a leading researcher at the newly-founded Institute for Crest and Relic Research, was the officiant at the wedding. He was dressed in white robes and, as the couple stepped before him, he began the ceremony. “Your Majesty, Emperor Edelgard von Hresvelg. Do you have any words for your dearly beloved?”

Edelgard’s lilac eyes filled with tears as she spoke. “Byleth. Your love means the world to me. You have stuck by me through thick and thin, even when I believed that I was not worthy of love. Thank you, my dear.”

Hanneman turned to Byleth. “And yourself, Byleth Eisner?”

Byleth spoke softly. “Edelgard. You mean the world to me. And I can’t imagine spending a single day without you in my life.”

Hanneman spoke again. “Then, through the power of the law of the Adrestian Empire, I pronounce you married.” And then the two women embraced and locked lips for a kiss.   


Hubert felt himself getting emotional. No, he couldn’t let himself be seen this way. He grabbed his handkerchief quickly to try to stem any tears. He glanced over at Ferdinand, his hair in a ponytail as he openly cried. Hubert wished that he could allow himself to feel in the way Ferdinand clearly did, sometimes.

As the moment ended and the guests began to mingle, he smiled in satisfaction. He had succeeded at his goal, and he was proud of that. They were happy. And perhaps, he could be happy too. He had never pursued anyone before, but maybe today was a new beginning for him as well. He felt himself let go of any residual romantic feelings he had for Edelgard.

“Ferdinand von Aegir. Would you care to dance with me?”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you as always for editting, my lovely husband!


End file.
